3. Bret Hart
To many avid fans of pro wrestling, Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s memoir, “Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling,” is the end-all-be-all of pro wrestling autobiographies. Hart writes candidly about the cutthroat and oftentimes toxic backstage atmosphere of wrestling in the 80’s and 90’s and the toll it took on him, his family, and many other wrestlers. One word of caution: as you read it, keep in mind that it’s written entirely from Hart’s perspective – and he’s had a very tumultuous relationship with the business.
From the Amazon description: Written without collaborators and based on decades of tape recordings he made throughout his career, HITMAN is Bret Hart’s brutally honest, perceptive and startling account of his life in and out of the ring that proves once and for all that great things come in pink tights.
2. Chris Jericho
Okay, this isn’t just one book – it’s three. Chris Jericho has written no less than three autobiographies chronicling his extensive career, spanning from his humble beginnings in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to his evolution to the Best in the World at What He Does. And yes: Jericho is as good a storyteller outside the ring as he is inside it.
From the Amazon description: Jericho has a one-of-a-kind comedic voice and a knack for getting himself into screwball situations—both in and out of the ring. See for yourself why he is the best in the world.
1. Mick Foley
Mick Foley’s first autobiography, “Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks,” is without a doubt the most famous wrestler memoir out there, and it influenced many other wrestlers to write their own memoirs; Jericho writes in his autobiography that he was trying to emulate Foley’s. If you want a behind-the-scenes look at Foley’s life and career up until his 1998 WWF Championship reign, you have to read this book.
From the Amazon description: Mick Foley is a nice man, a family man who loves amusement parks and eating ice cream in bed. So how to explain those Japanese death matches in rings with explosives, golden thumbtacks and barbed wire instead of rope? The second-degree burn tissue? And the missing ear that was ripped off during about-in which he kept fighting? Here is an intimate glimpse into Mick Foley’s mind, his history, his work and what some might call his pathology.